Celebrating hope in the fight against brain cancer
HCA Virginia introduced the Gamma Knife procedure to Virginia 20 years ago. Since then, the hospital has performed over 5,000 surgeries. Johnston-Willis Hospital is one of only seven healthcare institutions in the U.S. with such a record.
“People don’t die from brain metastases anymore,” said Jacquelyn Stevens, a school administrator who speaks from personal experience. After breaking up with her fiancé in 2011, Jacqui embarked on a fitness journey in pursuit of a “revenge body.” During a routine annual physical, her doctor discovered a small bruise on her breast, which turned out to be stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer. Following chemotherapy, radiation and reconstructive surgery, Stevens resumed her life. However, one day at a horse race, she experienced a seizure. “They found cancer lesions all over my brain,” Stevens recalled.
After undergoing a craniotomy, she was referred to Johnston-Willis Hospital for a non-surgical procedure to treat the areas the surgery couldn’t reach. The Gamma Knife procedure is a non-invasive, computer-guided treatment that uses approximately 200 beams of gamma radiation to target brain tumors or lesions while minimizing impact on surrounding brain tissue. Patients typically return home within hours.
“Every now and then, I have a zap here and there, but I’ve been living a full, healthy life,” Stevens said. “This experienced strengthened my faith in God and my belief that miracles do still happen.” Recently, she and several other patients gathered at Johnston-Willis Hospital to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Neuroscience and Gamma Knife Center and reconnect with their doctor, Dr. K. Singh Sahni. Since 2004, when HCA Virginia introduced the treatment to Virginia, Dr. Sahni’s team has performed over 5,000 surgeries. Johnston-Willis Hospital is one of only seven healthcare institutions in the U.S. with such a record. “Cancer is no longer a death sentence,” Dr. Sahni stated. “Even with brain cancer, it’s a treatable disease as long as you stay on top of it.”
Greg Snider from Mechanicsville is living proof. Diagnosed in 2019 with four brain tumors, he was referred to Johnston-Willis Hospital for treatment. “I went in the morning for the procedure and by 1 p.m., they were feeding me a ham sandwich and sending me home,” Snider shared. He believes it was fate when he walked into the clinic and saw his neighbor, Bri Clarke, a nurse practitioner who works as Dr. Sahni’s surgical assistant. “This was the first time we spoke, but it was certainly not our last.” Since 2019, Snider has had five more brain tumors, all successfully treated.
“My doctor told me not to worry about brain tumors, promising that he would take care of them if they returned. That is exactly what he did,” Snider said. “There is s no question in my mind that God put me, Dr. Sahni and the entire team at Johnston Willis Hospital together at the perfect time. They are truly a blessing.”
“We’re far from done yet,” Dr. Sahni told colleagues and patients at the anniversary celebration. The Johnston Willis team is engaged in a research project using high intensity focused ultrasound to treat brain tumors. While still in the research phase, it is another non-invasive technology that could one day be used to treat brain tumors without surgery. And Sahni is on his way to reach another milestone – helping 6,000 patients with the Gamma Knife procedure – by spring 2025.